As we approach our art exhibition opening for Innuendos, we asked the artists participating in the show, about the women in history that had inspired them. This series of Facebook informational posts strives to honor the women that so diligently and bravely lived and worked before us to bring knowledge, freedom, wisdom, awareness, justice, creativity, strength and a river of inspiration to the women today.

The Bronxite women participating in this exhibit wanted to honor these women as we celebrate Women History Month in March. These women represent different races, times in history, languages and geographical spaces but a significant part of the women that inspired us further more pursue the attainment of the Civil Rights and Justice for all members of this world.

BxArt Factory will be celebrating Women History Month with their Art Exhibition: Innuendos: The Voices of 10 Bronxite Women

We know that the issues that still affect women today are topics that must be talked about often but we hope that with this exhibition we continue the conversation and bring awareness to the community. Innuendos opens at the Andrew Freedman Home (1125 Grand Concourse) on Friday, March 6th and runs through April 1st!

These collection of work by ten women artists from The Bronx looks to connect you to the female form. We wish to celebrate the women body and spirit as it is the biggest accomplishment of our freedom and at the same time celebrate the creativity in the unique and forever inspirational work of women artists.

Innuendos will create a forum for women and all members of the community to talk and discus the problematic that women are still confronting in this new age and how some of the relevance of our accomplishments continues to be ignored by many members of our society. The metaphors implanted in the celebration of our body and spirit work to destroy the stigmatism behind the elegance of the women’s body and the closeness of our spirit to the universe. The work will explore and bring light to how the women body has being the victim of social innuendos that lack sensitivity and respect putting women into boxes created by society in an attempt to denigrate our rightful place in the global society.

The art work will seek to illustrate the women body and spirit as its being affected or negatively influenced by the struggles with the constant use of it as a tool for sexualization, commercialization and enslavement. The presentation of this group of conceptual work will illustrate the attempts of different societal elements and how they have tried to incarcerate women’s freedoms and the power and right to be one force in this patriarchal society.

During our launch party we had the honor to meet our Online Contest winner Ruddy Mejia. He participated via Instagram and shared almost all of the pictures with the correct name of location and with hash tag #bxartsfactory. We presented the winner with an original painting by artist and co-founder of BxArts Factory, Alexis Mendoza. He also received an exclusive BxArts Factory T-shirt! The t-shirt was printed live during the event by artists Alex Guerrero! It was indeed a magical night and we were able to reveal the names of all the locations around the Bronx, used for the contest! All the locations can be seen in the photos below. The painting titled Oshun (1 (18), 2014, mixed media on canvas, 22"X20") is one in the series of paintings "Organic Consequence", orientation, directions are all placed in abeyance, but not so we can ogle paint drippings, color fields, or textual screams. Placing the basic, familiar attributes of things to one side, Mendoza discovers the essence of color presence. However, what defines presence is no longer explainable. He let color, hard dark lines, distance, desire the locus of the image and volume do the explanation, all these characteristics come together simultaneously, equally, and in terms of each other. The color, as it turned out, is the matrix of memory, and within it, the images surface, utopias and its denials.

Hello supporters,BxArts Factory would like to thank everyone who attended our official Launch Party! We appreciate your presence at our even despite being one of the coldest nights so far this winter. The smiles, hugs, handshakes, and over all feel of community were the highlights of the night and you all were active participants in creating this great atmosphere. Your kind words of support and your encouragement are priceless memories that we will keep for years to come.Laura, Twahira, Alex, Latanya, Michael and I would like to express our gratitude to all the amazing people that helped make this a special night! Thank you to all the volunteers: Natalie Caro, Sharon Lee de la Cruz, Manny Figueroa, Ijeoma D. Iheanacho, Valarie Irizarry, Emely Martinez, Elizabeth Ortiz, Andres Perez Correa, Daniel Rodriguez and Cinnamon Willis. It is important to also recognize those who offered a lending hand full heartedly and generously through the night! Your support and commitment was extraordinary! As you know the attendees were able to enjoy of some amazing and delicious treats! We extend our appreciation to this amazing local Bronx businesses and community members that helped us so gracefully: Bronx Beer Hall, Flaco Coquito, Don Reyes & Luscious Wines, Hungry Bird Restaurant, Morris Perk, Deborah Delgado and Family and The Bronx Museum of the Arts. Additionally we would like to thank the following individual supporters for their contributions: Ed García Conde, Lilian Bello, Lauren Click, Walter Puryer, Valarie Irrizary, Josue Guarionex, Pepe Coronado, Ken Hettinger, William Acevedo and the amazing DJ Ignacio Soltero (Deejaysoul) Special thanks to Monica Ibacache, Co-founder of Beyond Organic Design and Phillip Morrow, President of SoBro for their kind words of encouragement. Lastly we would like to thank the amazing artists that donated their time to enchant the audience with creativity and passion for the arts: Melanie Gonzalez (Photographer), Trevon Blondet (Photographer), Yarisa Colon (Handmade Books and Collages), Alex Guerrero (Screen Printing), Lucrecia Novoa (Masks Artist and Performance), Ismael Checo (Painting), Manuela Viera-Gallo (Performance). We look forward to seeing you at the Factory and in many other Bronx events! Thanks, Yolanda L. RodriguezPresident/CEOBxArts Factory

After 12 days of contest, we finally have a winner, Our Instagram follower @see_obscure was the lucky one! Congratulations Ruddy Mejia, We will see you tonight at the Launch Party to give you the prize.Thanks a million to all that participated!

January 31st we started posting one picture a day at 6:00 p.m. for 12 days, of our logo at a historically or culturally significant Bronx location. Everyone who reposts at least 6 pictures with the correct answer and the hashtag #BxArtsFactory via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter will be eligible to win a one-of-a-kind piece of art from a Bronx artist and a BxArts Factory t-shirt at our launch event at The Bronx Museum of the Arts on Thursday, February 12, 2015. If you haven't started yet, what are you waiting for? Go to our FaceBook, our Twitter or Instagram and go for it! We have only 2 days left.